Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 320 Surrender Yourself

Sunday morning.

Early in the morning, MP Macht took his wife and daughter by carriage to St. Samuel's Church.

When he entered the Great Prayer Hall, the spacious hall was already filled with believers who had come for Mass. Senator Macht was used to this scene; he walked quietly down the aisle separating the seats and saw Mr. Dawn Dantes sitting slightly towards the back.

Member of Parliament Macht smiled and greeted Dawn Dantes, then found an empty spot in the middle of the area with his wife and daughter and sat down.

On one hand, this is the Church of St. Samuel, the headquarters of the Church of the Night in Backlund. And the followers of the Night naturally want to be closer to the Church of St. Samuel, which has led to almost all the residents of the North District being followers of the Church of the Night.

On the other hand, the Church of the Night does not have many Feast Days. The most important is the Winter Rite, followed by the Great Mass at the full moon, also called the Moon Mass, and then the regular Mass and prayers every Sunday—Sunday and night are both symbols of the goddess of night.

Therefore, every Sunday a large number of believers go to the church to attend Mass. This is not only the case of St. Samuel's Church, but also the case throughout Backlund and even the entire Kingdom of Rune. Almost every church has a constant stream of believers going to pray.

Of course, because many believers are not wealthy and may not be able to rest on Sundays, and are even busier during the day, churches in various churches will stay open until the early hours of the morning. Even the Night Church will organize a large Mass at night, giving most believers the opportunity to pray and repent.

Before the altar, Bishop Electra, who was in charge of the Mass, held the Book of Revelation and began to give a simple sermon:

"They were naked, without clothes or food, and completely exposed to the cold."

"They were soaked by the heavy rain, and having nowhere to take shelter, they clung tightly to the rock."

"They are mothers whose children have been taken away, orphans who have lost all hope, and poor people who have been forced off the right path."

"The night did not abandon them; it showed them favor."

The believers all closed their eyes in prayer, clasped their hands together, and placed them in front of their mouths and noses, praying earnestly, devoutly and attentively.

The echoes piled up, each sound reaching their ears; their vision was shrouded in darkness, yet their souls felt cleansed.

Only Hazel Machte, sitting beside her parents, was filled with anxiety and unable to concentrate on her prayers. Unlike the other devout believers, although Hazel also had her eyes closed, Bishop Elektra, standing on the altar, noticed her unusual state almost immediately.

As this part of the ceremony drew to a close, the pastors picked up water and bread and distributed them to Mori Macht and the others.

Although the food distributed by the Church of the Night was "simple" compared to their usual breakfasts, no devout believer complained about it; they accepted it willingly.

As the Mass ended, one by one, the gentlemen and ladies reached into the inside pockets of their clothes and took out their wallets.

They spontaneously lined up and made their way to the altar. Under the compassionate gaze of Bishop Electra, they walked diagonally to the offering box, tapped their chests four times clockwise to draw a crimson moon, and then successively cast donations of different amounts.

Meanwhile, a pastor opened the door to the adjacent confessional so that believers in need could go there after making their donations.

The Macht family was also in line, and when it was their turn, the Machts each put a gold pound into the offering box.

The Church of the Night does not mandate donations from its members. After listening to a sermon, believers can either go to the offering box to express their donation or simply get up and leave; all choices are their own. The bishops and pastors will not treat believers differently based on the amount donated or whether they don't donate at all.

Of course, believers usually make donations voluntarily, but the amount varies.

The common people are not well-off, and usually they only donate a few pennies each time.

If the middle class is in slightly better financial condition, they will donate three to five sul each time.

The truly wealthy and noble people, on the other hand, measured their wealth in gold pounds, but most of the time it did not exceed 100 pounds.

Although the Macht family belongs to this group, they cannot afford the £100 weekly donation, as it would mean spending £52,000 annually on it.

One pound each time is a suitable amount, neither too much nor too little.

This means a fixed donation of £52 per year, enough to pay the annual salaries of three maids.

Moreover, the Macht family consists of three people, and the combined donations from the three of them are enough to rent a nice villa in the North District.

But unexpectedly...

After the Machts finished their donations, when it was Hazel's turn, the girl with her lips tightly pressed together took out 100 pounds from her wallet and put it into the donation box.

Maurice Macht and his wife, Mrs. Liana, looked at their daughter with some surprise, not because the amount she donated was too large. It was her own pocket money that she had saved up, and how she disposed of it was her own business. They would not ask why.

What truly surprised them was why their daughter would do such a thing.

After completing the donation, Hazel did not leave immediately. Instead, she looked up at Bishop Elektra and whispered:

"Your Excellency, I need to repent."

Representative Macht's expression turned serious, clearly realizing that something might have happened to his daughter.

Bishop Elektra remained calm, smiling slightly as she said:

"You can go to the confessional and ask the bishop for help, or you can wait a little while and I can listen to your story."

Hazel thanked her softly, wasted no time, and got up to wait quietly to the side.

Lady Liana instinctively wanted to step forward, wanting to understand Hazel's troubles; as a mother, she felt it was her responsibility and obligation to resolve these problems for her daughter. But before she could act, Councilor Macht grabbed her arm, saying nothing, only gently shaking his head at his wife.

Congresswoman Liana Macht did not linger; she merely glanced at her daughter before leaving the church with her wife.

Hazel looked at her parents in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried about how to face them and how to explain things to them. What had happened to her was too bizarre and would cause them a lot of trouble.

After waiting a few minutes, until all the believers had left the church.

Another bishop arrived at the Bishop of Elektra to hand over the reins and prepare for Mass for the second group of believers who were to arrive.

Bishop Electra, having completed the horizontal crossing, walked directly to Hazel and whispered:

"Come with me."

Hazel nodded silently and followed quietly beside Bishop Elektra.

Bishop Elektra glanced at the girl beside him. He didn't think Hazel would suddenly do anything that required repentance, and given her parents' status, Bishop Elektra felt it was necessary to consider their image.

Therefore, instead of going directly to the confessional, he led her out of the Great Prayer Hall through a side passage and around to the library, which was not far from the spiral staircase.

Here are large bookshelves filled with various books related to the Church of the Goddess of Night, and tables and chairs are arranged on both sides for pastors and bishops to study and preach to believers.

Bishop Elektra chose a table and sat down. The girl, preoccupied with her thoughts, pursed her lips and sat somewhat nervously opposite Bishop Elektra.

Bishop Elektra spoke with a calming smile and a deep, resonant voice:

"What do you want to say? The goddess blesses every one of her believers."

"I……"

Hazel opened her mouth, but suddenly found it difficult to speak.

Bishop Elektra did not urge them, but simply smiled and reassured them:

"It's okay, just think of it as a friendly chat. Hmm, did you have a nightmare?"

He had seen the young woman last night at Congressman Macht's villa. She was as arrogant as ever, looking down on her peers, thinking they were too young, too shallow, and not capable enough.

In just one day, this proud young woman had changed completely. Like a frightened rabbit, she was wary and fearful of everything around her, as if something was following her and could harm her at any moment.

Based on reasonable speculation, Bishop Elektra believed that Hazel most likely had a nightmare last night—though it might not have been a pure nightmare, but rather one influenced by some extraordinary power.

After hesitating for a long time, Hazel said rather nervously:

"I am guilty, I am an extraordinary being."

Bishop Elektra smiled and nodded, signaling Hazel to continue.

Hazel felt a little relieved and said softly:

"It was a demigod who guided me to become an extraordinary being and enter the mystical world."

Bishop Elektra's smile faded slightly, and he became somewhat serious.

He frequently visited the Hazel family, so it was impossible for him not to notice that the young girl was already an extraordinary being. However, he assumed that she or her parents had secretly collected the potion recipes and extraordinary materials, which was not uncommon in the upper echelons of Loen society.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, the church turns a blind eye to this situation.

Bishop Elektra regularly visited the Macht family, both to ensure their safety and to ensure that the extraordinary individuals employed by Hazel and Macht were not at risk of spiraling out of control.

As long as the sequence is not too high and there is no risk of it getting out of control, the church will only register it and will not take immediate action.

But if Hazel's ascension is related to a demigod, that's a completely different matter. The destruction a low-sequence extraordinary being can cause is on a completely different scale compared to a demigod!

Representative Macht asked:

"Do you know which path that demigod took?"

Seeing Bishop Elektra's serious expression, Hazel couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"I don't know. I've only dreamed about her; I've never seen her in real life."

Bishop Elektra was not surprised by the answer, and instead asked:

Which route did you take?

"Thief, I am now a Sequence 8 fraudster." Hazel didn't dare to hide it. Since she had already decided to be honest, she had to be honest to the end, otherwise the things she hid would only become hidden dangers.

"The thief's route? The parasite?"

Bishop Elektra gave Hazel a deep look, a reassuring smile returning to her face, and said gently:

"Miss Hazel, you may continue."

Perhaps because she had finally revealed the secret buried deep in her heart, Hazel felt much lighter. She composed herself and, after a few seconds, said:

"That demigod guided me to become an extraordinary being, and then gave me a task: to dig a tunnel in the nearby sewers. Well, she didn't tell me exactly what was inside, only that there was a powerful magical artifact inside."

"This process lasted a long time, until last night when I went to the sewers to dig again. But just as I was about to start, the man I met last night... that Viscount Black suddenly appeared. He stopped me and told me to come to the Church of the Night today to confess to the bishop everything that had happened to me."

"Viscount Black?"

Upon hearing the name, Bishop Elektra glanced at Hazel with surprise, but his expression relaxed considerably. If it truly was His Excellency the Favored One who had personally intervened, then the possibility that the parasite was inhabiting Hazel could be ruled out.

Bishop Elektra hesitated for two seconds, unsure of what to do.

Theoretically speaking, since Hazel is connected to a demigod suspected of being a "parasite," she must be dealt with seriously. However, she is also related to Lord He Caizhe, and it was at Lord He Caizhe's request that she surrender to the Church of the Night. It would not be good to punish her too severely.

Seeing that Bishop Elektra remained silent for a long time, Hazel became somewhat uneasy again and couldn't help but ask:

"Your Excellency, he, Viscount Black, told me that if I confess to you, you will let me join the Night Watch and will also tell me what the Acting Method is. Is that true?"

Bishop Elektra looked up at Hazel, having already made up his mind, and smiled:

"Of course, no problem, but we must first make sure that this doesn't leave any hidden dangers."

He paused, then continued:

"You may not know this, but demigods of the 'Thief' pathway are called 'Parasites.' Demigods of this pathway can hide themselves by parasitizing the bodies of others. They often claim that they have lost their bodies and can only coexist with your spirit, can only depend on you, and cannot harm you. Then they give you knowledge, recipes, and various benefits, hoping that you will become strong and help them rebuild their bodies or take revenge."

"In reality, the extraordinary beings that are parasitized only become their nourishment, thus prolonging their lives and state."

Hazel grew increasingly terrified as she listened, so was the demigod who was teaching her the parasite?

Was she cultivating herself solely for the purpose of becoming a parasite?

Hazel's voice trembled slightly:

"I...I've already been parasitized?"

Bishop Elektra comforted him:

"The possibility is very small."

Although it was meant to be comforting, Bishop Elektra felt the possibility was very high.

After all, if Hazel was truly parasitized, how could she possibly come to the Church of the Night to surrender? Wouldn't that be walking right into a trap? Moreover, since Your Excellency the Favored One personally took action and gave clear instructions, it means that the demigod has most likely already been killed.

Heyle was brought to the church only so they could help with the cleanup.

Of course, the necessary confirmations still need to be done.

Bishop Elektra suddenly stood up and reassured her:

"I'm sorry, Miss Hazel, but please go with them for a checkup to make sure that the parasite is not still inside you."

"them?"

Hazel subconsciously turned her head and saw a handsome young man with black hair and green eyes standing there, who had appeared at some point.

She had met him before, also at the dinner party last night.

She remembered that the other person's name was Leonard Mitchell.

(End of this chapter)